Lightspeed POS Review

Lightspeed POS is one of the most comprehensive POS systems on the market. It can be used for retail and hospitality businesses alike, and has a huge range of features to help you succeed. It can track sales through multiple channels, as well as facilitating in-person orders – and, should something go wrong, you get 24/7 support.

With the current impact of the COVID-19 pandemic seriously harming the bottom line of many a business, anything that can alleviate the challenges presented this year should be welcomed. Lightspeed POS won't fix everything, but it will certainly provide a pain-free POS system, allowing you to focus your attention on more important areas of your business — and you can now get started for free.

Our review unpacks the main features to expect from Lightspeed POS, before examining the support options to expect and how its price plans work.

We rate Lightspeed our best POS system for complex retail inventories, as well as the best for integrations with restaurant software.

In this review:

• Lightspeed POS Plans and Pricing
• Lightspeed POS: Core Features
• Lightspeed POS Setup and Customer Support
• Lightspeed POS Alternatives
• Lightspeed POS – The Verdict

Lightspeed POS Plans and Pricing

Lightspeed offers five pricing plans: Basic, Starter, Standard, Advanced and Pro.

The entry-level Basic tier is aimed at small businesses. It costs $69 per month when billed annually, or $79 when billed monthly, and for that, customers get a retail POS and payments system with a free terminal included. Registers can be added for an extra $29 per month (this is true of all tiers). You'll also have to choose whether your business uses the Lightspeed Payments system to process… erm, payments. Sticking with Lightspeed's own processor will make life easier, but if you choose to switch from Lightspeed at any point, there might be a bit more legwork involved. Lightspeed charges 2.6% + 10¢ for every transaction, which is fairly standard for the industry.

Next up is the Starter plan which, in addition to all the features you get with the Basic plan, gives you the ability to hook up your online store sales to your in-person sales. You'll have to pay $99 per month with annual billing, or $119 with monthly billing.

The Standard plan allows you to integrate a third-party accounting platform into Lightspeed. This should cut down on manual paperwork for you, though you'll have to pay $119 per month or $139 per month, depending on whether you choose annual or monthly billing.

For $169 or $199 per month, you'll get the Advanced tier. This plan adds customer loyalty features, including a rewards program. This means Lightspeed will track your customers' purchases and prompt you to reward your biggest fans with discounts, free gifts, or other nice treats.

The last of Lightspeed's fixed-price plans is the Pro tier. It costs $229 per month with annual billing, or $259 per month with monthly billing. With this plan, you'll be able to access and analyze sales data, which can help you optimize and improve your operation.

There is also an Enterprise tier, which is aimed at large businesses. This is a bespoke package that will be designed around your business, and one that Lightspeed will price up for you on request.

Don't forget that there is a 14-day free trial that you can check out before committing to Lightspeed long term. You can get permanently free POS systems, too, but that isn't always the best idea.

Lightspeed Pricing Plans Comparison

.

.

Lightspeed Hardware Costs

Lightspeed offers hardware kits for iPads, MacOS devices, and Windows PCs, as well as selling compatible items individually.

However, it doesn't make the prices for these packages (or even the individual items) public – you'll have to head to the company directly for a quote.

To find out more about Lightspeed's hardware, click here.

Lightspeed POS Pricing vs Competitors

Lightspeed, much to its chagrin we're sure, isn't the only POS company out there. In fact, the market is awash with POS companies claiming to offer you the best option for less.

So how does Lightspeed compare? It's a bit more expensive than some of its competitors, sure, but its quality of features and UI still make it a strong choice.

Lightspeed POS: Core Features

Sales

Lightspeed POS users can create or search for a customer profile, before inputting the items they're buying or simply scanning them with a barcode scanner. Once ready, the employee can ring up the order for credit, debit, check, cash, PayPal, or a combination. Then the staffer can either print or email the receipt.

Customers

Customers can be tracked via Lightspeed's suite of CRM tools, allowing stores to give individual customers status like “VIP” or “regular” and to create email lists for targeted marketing campaigns. Their sales history allows managers to make smart decisions about which items are most popular, or which future purchases to suggest to a specific customer. Support for a customer loyalty or gift card program is also available.

Inventory

Items can be quickly imported from a CSV or Excel file, and users can add additional style, size, and color specifications to each item. In addition, pre-loaded catalogs available on the Lightspeed POS allow users to restock their inventory directly from the system. Inventory can also be checked from the mobile app while on the go.

Ecommerce Integrations

A single store inventory can be sold both in-person and through an online storefront, for a consistent brand experience. Customer data can be tracked across both channels as well, giving managers an accurate picture of their shopping habits. Websites can be set up easily through Lightspeed, thanks to the ready-made templates on offer. Integrations make selling directly through Facebook possible as well.

Lightspeed and WooCommerce Integration

Lightspeed has strong integration with ecommerce platform WooCommerce. It costs $149 per year to integrate the services but, in return, you'll have a seamlessly linked online store (through WooCommerce) and point of sale system (through Lightspeed).

Your inventory and sales will be automatically tracked, meaning that operating your online and offline businesses far easier. Plus, it will make your business more defensible in the face of potential restrictions on in-person sales.

Lightspeed retail POS 

Reports

Data about customer and employee habits can be tracked and logged. This means that trends will appear in the data over time, allowing managers to make intelligent decisions, with specific insights on factors including which employees clock in and out on time, which customers buy the most, and which items sell best on which day of the week. Accounting data can be automatically processed with integrations available from Lightspeed, and all reports can be exported to PDF or Excel.

Restaurant POS

Lightspeed's restaurant POS offers a broad range of restaurant-specific tools, from an inventory that tracks individual ingredients, to a floor plan that lets servers locate the right customer at the right time, to a customizable menu that incorporates photos as well as descriptions. Table-side service is a highlight: With Lightspeed Restaurant, servers can take orders and send them to the kitchen while standing at the customer's table.

Video: How to Make a Sale in Lightspeed Retail

Lightspeed restaurant POS

Lightspeed Hardware

You don't need to invest in one of Lightspeed's hardware packages to use the system – you'll be able to get by with only an iPad, MacOS device, or a Windows PC.

However, Lightspeed does offer a range of products that can make your life (and your customers' lives) so much easier.

For example, its iPad hardware kit includes a LAN receipt printer (and paper), cash drawer, Bluetooth scanner, and branded iPad stand. Meanwhile, the desktop hardware kit includes a USB receipt printer, cash drawer, and USB scanner.

Find out more – Best iPad POS Apps 2021

Sadly, Lightspeed doesn't make its prices for these packages available publicly – you'll have to head to the company directly for a quote.

If you have existing hardware, there's a chance that it might work with Lightspeed. However, the company doesn't guarantee anything.

Lightspeed POS hardware bundles

Lightspeed Alternatives

Of course, Lightspeed isn't the only POS system on the market. In fact, it's going head-to-head with some of the biggest names in the business, including Square and Vend POS.

So, how does it compare?

Lightspeed is a mite more expensive than its competitors, but it's still an excellent choice for small to medium-sized businesses.

Verdict: Lightspeed POS

Lightspeed's pricing might be a little above the norm, but its strong feature set and unparalleled ease of use more than atone for it.

It would make a fantastic choice for a business of any size that needs a new POS, though its helpful hardware bundles and easy third-party integrations make it particularly well-suited to fast-growing companies.

To make sure Lightspeed POS is the best fit for your business, why not try it out, free for 14 days. You'll be under no obligation to stick with it if it doesn't work for you, but we think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Lightspeed FAQs

Let's take a look at the internet's most widely asked questions about Lightspeed.